Rotary-valve gas-engine.



H. M. CROWTHER.

ROTARY VALVE GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION mu) MAR. 14. I918.

1 ,272,630. Patented July 16, 19125.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Inventor: Haw/7'? M.CT'0U/Z'h67j H. M. CROWTHER.

ROTARY VALVE GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14. 1918.

m rm mm m/i m fi mm vm A m mm .6 J y W W/M H, y 10 HENRY M. CROWTHER, 0F KINGMAN, ARIZONA.

ROTARY-VALVE GAS-ENGINn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1918.

Application filed March-14, 1918. Serial No. 222.464.

7 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY M. Cnow'rnnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kingman, in the county of Mohaveand State of Arizona, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary-Valve Gas- Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My object is to make an improved rotary valve gas engine and my invention consists in the novel features herein shown, described and claimed.

Figure l is a central sectional elevation on a line arallel with the crank shaft.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional detail on the same plane Fig. 1 and showing the omission of the rotating cylinder linin Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross-section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the mutilated driving gear and balancing cam.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the driven gear with which the mutilated gear and cam cooperate.

Fig. (i is a pcrspective of the rotating valve and rotating cylinder lining.

Fi 7 is a horizontal cross-section on the line 7-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a diagram of the moving parts in position with the cxhaust port open.

Fi 9 is a dia ram of the movim iarts in position with the intake port open.

Fig. 10 is a'diagram illustrating the op oration of the mutilated driving gca r. the co- 7 operating driven gear, and the balancing cam for holding the driven Illl"\\'lllll the mutilated gear is out of mesh.

in the drawings 1 have shown a single cylinder construction and it is to he understood that anv desired number of cylinders mav he used.

The crank shaft 1 is mounted in a crank case 2 and carries a fly wheel or pulley 3. The piston cylinder from the crank case movahly in place by bolts 5. The piston rod ll is connected to the crank sha t 1 by a separable hearing 7 and extends upwardly through an opening 8 in the crank case 2 and is connected to and operates the piston t). The cylinder casc i is provided with a water iacket 10. In Fig. l the piston S) operates in an intermittently rotating cylinder lining 11, said lining hcing mounted in the cylinder case 4. in Fig. 2 the rotating lin- 2 and is secured re case 4 extends upwardly ing 11 is omitted and the case 1 is machined to lit the piston 9.

Motor fuel is supplied to the explosion chamber 12 through an intermittently rotating valve 13 formed integral withthe intermittently rotating cylinder lining ,11, as shown in Fig. 1, or operating independently, as shown in Fig. 2.

The cylinder lining 11. is an integral cylinder internally machined to tit the piston t) and externally machined to form windin hearing faces inder case t. there being whaling clearance spaces 16 between the hearing faces 14. The hearing faces 14 and the clearance spaces 16 are like a coarse high pitch screw-thread extending from the lower edge of the linin to the upper edge and serve to elevate 01 which is splashed into the lower end of the case 4 from the oil supply 17 in the crank case 2.

The details of the intermittently rotating valve 13 are as follows: In constructin the cylinder lining 11 a head 18 is provided, said head being formed integral with one end of the lining and H101 bring diametri cally a rrangcd ports 19 and 20 through the head. The edges 21 and 22 ot' the port 19 and the cdgcs 23 and 24 ot the port, 20 are on radial lines and extend "from the hub 25 of the head to the inner face of the lining 11.

14 to fit the bore 15 in the cy A valve stem 26 extends upwardly from the hill) 25 at the axial center of the head 18. Screw-threads 27 are formed on the upper part of the stem 26 and the extreme up er end 28 of the stem is machined and provi ed with a key-scat 21).

\Vhen it is desired 'to provide a rotary valve 13 without the cylinder linin 11 the cylinder lining is simply omitted mm the casting or cut away.

The cylinder case 4 is provided with a head 30, there being a central bore 31 in the head to receive the valve stem 26, the 11 per end of the bore 31 being enlarged to arm a spring scat 32 to receive the expansive coil spring 33. A large washer 34 is placed upon the stem 26 against the spring 33 in position to cover the spring seat 32, and a' nut .35 is screwcd upon the threads 27 against the washer 34.

The lower fare of the head 30 is machincd and the upper face of the valve head 18 is corrcspoiulingly machined to make a is exerted to hold the valve hcad 18 against the case head 30 and prevent rattling.

An intake port 36 is formed through the head 30 and an exhaust port 37 is formed through the head 30 at right angles totbe intake ort. A carburetcr 38 is connected to the intake port 36. A spark plug 39 is mounted through the case head 30 and a relief cook 40 is mounted through the case head diametrically opposite the spark plug.

The driven gear 41 comprises a hub 42 adapted to fit upon the machined portion 28 of the stem 26 and carry a spline or key, a web 43 extending from the hub 42, and bevel er teeth 44 upon the outer rim of the W5: The upper end of the hub 42 is closed by a cam head 45, and a transverse diametrically arranged cam slot 46 is formed in the upper face of this head, the ends 47 and {1 Qf'the slot being flaring or rounded.

A gear case 49 is mounted upon the head 30, a gear 50 is fixed upon the crank shaft 1 inside of the crank case 2, and a counter shaft 51 is mounted with its lower and ex tending through the crank case and connected to the gear 50 by a gear 52. The shaft 51 extends through the breather 53 in the crank case Qand extends through a stuffl ing box 54 in the gear case 49, and a ear 55 is fixed upon the upper end of the sliaft 51 in thegear case. A second conntcrshaft 56 is mounted horizontally in the gear case 49 and a gear 57 is fixed upon the second countershaft 56 to be driven by the gear 55 upon the first oountershaft 5]. The gears 50 and '52 are preferably spiral gears set at right angles to"each other, and the gears 55 and 57 are also spiral and set at right an%les to each other.

he gear case 49 is adapted to be Filled to any desired extent with suitable lubricating oil throngh'a breather and filler cap and a splaeherjliil is fixed upon the shaft 56 for circulating "the oil.

The mutilated driving gear 60 is fixed upon the second eountersbaft 56 and has teeth 61 extending approximately one-half the way anound its periphery, said teeth being adapted to injeeh with theft-nth 44 upon the'drivengeai 4'1, and the balancing cam said cam 62 icing semi-disk shaped and the cam edge 63 extending through slightly more than half a circle, said cam edge being diametrically opposite the teeth 61 and adapted to engage in the hint 46, so an to hold the valve 13 from rotating during sub- ,stahtially half a revolution of the shat't'fifi.

tccth upon the mutilated gear 60 pass out of mesh with the tooth upon thedriren goar 41, so as to hold the valve 13 Fnoui spinning and so as to properly timev the opening; and closing of the inlet. and exhaust ports, and in a like manner the rear end of the cam edge ()3 will not entirely pass out oi the slot -46 until the Forward teeth (it. again mesh With the tcclh 41-. I consider this intcrinib tent motion bctn'ccn thc constantly rotating crank shaft and intermittently rotating valve of great importance. The intermit tcntly rotating cylinder lining is also of great importance.

Two revolutions of the crank ,Sllltfhlilttkfi a cycle of therngine. One half of a rev olu} tion of the valve uiakes'a cycle of the engine. The two ports in the valve are used alternately. ()nc port. makes a cyclc oi' the engine and the other port makes the next cycle of the engine, and so on. The valve nit-m practically still during the com u'esnion and e'xploaion impulses and the vzm'c is under very little pressure when it ie being moved.

In the practical operation, oil is placed in the crank case 2 and in the gear case 49. The operation of the crank shaft 1 cariyingthe piston rod (3 and separable bearing] Will throw oil up into the lower end of the cylinder case 4. The operation of the crank shaft will intermittently rotate the cylinder lining l1 and the winding bearing faces 14 upon the cylinder liniugwill carry oil lipwardly l'ietwcen the cylinder lining and the case 4 to the rotating valvc 13. thereby lubrieating: the valve and cooling the lining and valve. The ports 19 and 20 in the valvc 13 are diametrically arrz'mged Whereas the intake port 36 and exhaust port 37 are ar ranged at right angles to each other. hen a port ill. or 20 has passed the intakc porl 36, as shown in Fig. 3, the explosive charge in the chamber 12 will be ignited through the port by the spark in 39. The next stroke of thepiston Wil br ng a .port 1 9 or 52-0 into registry with the exhaust port h'i. (lontinued operation will bring thesauie port into registery with. the intake port 36 and the chamber 12 .will be recharged and these operations continue. The can efdg 68 holds the valve 13 and the cylinderli'nin 11 from spinning between the operations o the mutilated gear 60 upon the gear 41.; Th operation of the splasher 59 keeps the gear. Within the gear case49 luln-icated.v I 120 Among the many advantages, attention is called to the fact that the faces of the valve parts operate by sliding rota-ting. contact and are sel-flg'rinding, that no carbon can acenmulate upon the faces of thevalve parts, that there are no dead explosion recesatye.v that, the whole explosive force is exertednpon the, piston face thus eavin lr fuel, thatthe. sscavl ringing operation is more complete due to the fact. that the face of the piston my room 130 l i l close to the lower face of the valve, that the valve parts open and close quickly, that the parts are not calculated to wear loose or rattle, that it is easier to adjust the timing accurately, that the rotation of the cylinder lining will constantly grind the working faces of the lining and piston and make the wear more even, that the rotating cylinder lining will improve the lubrication of the valve and assist in cooling the cylinder and valve, and that there are fewer working parts, requiring less waste of power than in the old'puppet valve construction.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departin from the spirit of my invention as claimed.

' I claim: a

1. A rotary valve as engine comprising a crank case, a crank s aft in the crank case, a cylinder case extending from the crank case and havin a head; there being an ex haust port an an intake port through the head; a valve rotatably mounted a ainst the inner 'faceof the head and having ports adapted to register with the exhaust port and the intake port, a cylinder lining extending from the valve and rotatably mounted in the cylinder case; there being winding bearing faces upon the periphery of the lining and fitting the case; a stem extending from the valve through the head, a driven gear upon the stem, a gear upon the crank shaft, a countershaft, a gear upon the countershaft meshing with the gear upon the crank shaft, a second countershaft, gears connecting the first countershaft to the'sec- 0nd countershaft, a mutilatedgear upon the second countershaft adapted to mesh with ing cam rigid with the mutilated ear andthe driven gear upon the stem, a head extending from the hub of the driven gear and havin a transverse slot, and a balancdiametrically opposed and adapte to engage in the slot to hold the valve while the mutilated gear is out of mesh.

2. In a rotary valve as engine, a piston cylinder case havin a iead provided with an exhaust port an an intake port, -a valve fitting against the inner face of the head and having ports adapted to register with the exhaust port and intake port, a stem extending from the valve through the head, a piston cylinder lining extending from the valve and having winding bearin faces fitting the case, a driven gear fixe upon the stem, a mutilated driving gear mounted to mesh with the driven gear,-a head rigid with the driven gear and having a transverse slot,

a semi-disk shaped balancing cam rigid with the mutilated gear and having an edge adapted to fit in the slot to hold the valve from rotating when the mutilated, ear is out of mesh, and means for drivinglt e muiston with tilated gear in time with a crank s as engine. a.

3. In a rotary valve ead provide cylinder case havin a a exhaust port an an intake port, a valve fitting against the inner face of the head and having ports adapted toregister with the Y exhaust port and intake port, a stem extendsemi-diskshaped balanci'n cam rigid with the mutilated gear and amp an edge adapted to lit in the slot to hold the valve from rotating when the mutilated ear is out ofmesh, and means for driving t e mutila-ted gear in time with a crank shaft.

4. A rotary valve gas engine comprising a crank case, a crank shaft mounted in the crank case, a piston cylinder, case extendin from the crank case, a piston in the piston 0y inder case an doperatively connected to t e crank shaft, :1 gear case mounted 'upon the cylinder case, a countershaft extending from the crank case into the gear case, gears connecting the crank shaft to the countershaft, a second countershaft in the gear case, gears connecting the second countershaft to the first countershaft, a rotary valve construction in the cylinder case, a stem extending from the valve through the head of the cylinder case, a driven gear upon the stem, a mu tilated gearupon the second countershaft and adapted to mesh with the driven gear intermittently, a head rigid with the driven gear and havin a transverse slot, and a semi-disk shape balancing cam rigid with the mutilated gear and adapted to engage in c 

